A long-running staple in Portland
television, wrestling had
its
first
exposure on
KPTV
in
1953,
with
host
Bob
McAnulty
(see
Heidelberg
Wrestling).
It
also
aired
on
other Portland channels, including KOIN
(6), but found its greatest
success
when
it
returned
to
KPTV
in
1967.

KPTV
sports
announcer
(and
midday
movie
host!)
Frank
Bonnema
took
the
helm,
developing
a
rapport
with
the
wrestlers
that
few
play-by-play
men
ever
do.
His
exciting
calls
of
the
action
inside
the
ring,
as
well
as
his
"crow's
nest"
interviews
between
matches,
became
the
highlight
of
KPTV's
weekly
coverage.

Many
wrestlers
who
found
national
fame
got
their
start
in
Portland,
and
appeared
on
KPTV's
"Portland
Wrestling,"
including
Jesse
Ventura
and
"Rowdy
Roddy"
Piper.

In
the
beginning,
"Portland
Wrestling"
was
a
Friday
night
entry,
but
by
1969,
the
program
had
moved
to
Saturdays,
where
it
would
remain
for
the
rest
of
its
run.
Originally
a
live
program,
KPTV
began
tape-delaying
the
Saturday
matches
until
11:00pm
in
1979.

Frank Bonnema,
host of Portland Wrestling,
waits
for
another
match
to
begin
from
his
perch
in
the
"Crow's
Nest."

Following
Frank
Bonnema's
sudden
death
in
1982,
Don
Coss took over as host of the program.
Rising
production
costs,
the
loss
of
faithful
sponsor
Tom
Peterson
(who
declared
bankruptcy
in
the
early
1990s,
and
declining
ratings
finally
put
an
end
to
"Portland
Wrestling"
in
December
1991.
The
matches
continued,
and
have
been
periodically
televised
on
other
Portland
stations
through
the
years.

Not
since
this
incarnation,
however,
has
wrestling
from
Portland
enjoyed
such
a
following.
Even
the
nationally
broadcast
WWE
matches
don't
draw
the
numbers
of
viewers
who
tuned
in
for
"Portland
Wrestling"
during
its
heyday.

At
some
point,
during
the
1970s
or
1980s,
KPTV's
broadcast
was
also
aired
in
other
markets,
including
Seattle,
Washington,
and
the
program
was
called
"Big
Time
Wrestling."

Frank Bonnema interviews wrestling legend Lonnie Mayne.

Frank Bonnema hosted the show from 1967 until his death in
1982.

Jay
Youngblood
makes
a
point
to
the
fans
as
Frank
Bonnema
listens
in.

Frank
Bonnema
and
Steve
Regal
take
a
break
between
matches
in
the
Crow's
Nest.

Don Coss took over as announcer for the program, following
the death of Frank Bonnema in 1982.

Don
Coss
welcomes
fans
to
another
edition
of
Portland
Wrestling
on
KPTV.

Behind
the
scenes:
A
wave
from
cameraman
Phil
Brown
and
a
smile
from
floor
director
Dan
Whitehurst.
Covering
the
weekly
wrestling
matches
required
the
coordination
of
a
dozen
people
and
the
set-up
of
heavy
television
cameras.

The
final
Portland
Wrestling
on
KPTV,
December
28,
1991.
Don
Coss
thanks
KPTV
for
24
years
of
wrestling
coverage
and
reminds
fans
that
the
matches
will
continue,
even
though
they
will
no
longer
be
televised.

I
grew
up
on
KPTV
during
the
1960s
and
'70s
in
Eugene.
For
me,
KPTV
had
the
best
movies
available.
I
saw
such
films
as
"Casablanca,"
"Psycho,"
"The
Birds"
and
"Holiday
Inn"
for
the
first
time
on
KPTV.
Movies
on
12
were
a
staple
of
Saturday
late-night
viewing
-
after
Portland
Wrestling,
of
course.
I
well
remember
Frank
Bonnema,
Shag
Thomas,
Lonnie
Mayne
and
Dutch
Savage,
and
sponsors
Tom
Peterson
and
"Friendly"
Joe
Cahan
from
Friendly
Chevrolet
out Lake
Oswego
way.
Every
Saturday
night
at
8:30,
there
was
-
as
Lonnie
Mayne
would
put
it
-
"excitement
in
the
air!"
Channel
12
was
the
best
cartoon
channel
around,
too
-
all
the
great
Warner
Bros.
'toons,
and
Popeye
on
the
great
Ramblin'
Rod
show
-
and
God
bless
Rod
Anders
for
his
years
of
entertainment. KPTV
is
still
my
ideal
of
what
the
independent
local
station
should
be.
It
truly
is
"Oregon's
12."

Mike
Sims
Hillsboro,
OR

From
a
now-defunct
website
called
"Golden
Oldies"

Portland Wrestling returned to TV on
KPTV in February 1967 with Frank
Bonnema. It ran on Friday nights at 9:30 until
wrestling was moved from the Armory to Portland Sports Arena in 1968. At that
time, it moved to Saturday at 9:30. In 1970, it moved to 8:30. In 1979, KPTV
started tape delaying the show until 11:00. Bonnema was the announcer (and a
great one) until his death in October 1982. At that time, Don
Coss and Dutch
Savage took over. Savage was later replaced by Stan Stasiak. It wasn't until
about 1972 that KPTV started broadcasting Portland Wrestling in color. Even for
a few years after that, if KPTV broadcast another sporting event (Blazers, Ducks
or Beavers) on a Saturday night, Portland Wrestling would be in wonderful black
& white. They must have only had one color broadcast truck.

Jerry
Gaule, creator
of
the
"Golden
Oldies"
website

OTHER WEBSITES WITH
INFORMATION ABOUT PORTLAND WRESTLING

PORTLAND WRESTLING ONLINE
A site run by Ricky Riot, featuring stories, pictures and history of the
glory days of Portland wrestling.
He also has some DVDs available for sale.www.portland-wrestling.com